Let's go Viral

Our promotional spot for the World Conference on Breast Cancer is now posted on YouTube. Please share this link with everyone you know. Maybe we can go viral. For more information on the conference or to register go to www.wcbcf.ca

Things are not always as they appear

Sorry for the laps in entries - this week has been a bad one. As I told you the chemo was hitting me rather hard which I found very surprising because it was nothing like this the first time around. Well I was surprised to learn last Tuesday that my appendix decided it would be perfect timing to explode.

When my oncologist told me he thought it was my appendix I just looked at him in total disbelief and said, “You have got to be freak’n kidding me”. Well I gotta tell you – I think that all of the energy, hopes and prayers all of my supporters have all been sending my way have definitely aligned the stars and sent in the spiritual support because the timing of everything lined up so that I am here to write another blog entry. I also am convinced now that surviving this is concrete proof that I still have something to accomplish in this world.

This whole adventure has put my chemo treatment on hold for a bit. The surgeons still feel I am at significant risk of infection so they don’t want chemo plummeting my white cells and neutrophils again until I am fully healed. I will find out on Wednesday when I see the oncologist what they want to do next.

I have to tell you on on day three in the hospital I really felt like I was giving up hope – I was in pain, crashing from all of the anesthetic and so full of meds I could not rally myself. I was sinking into a full blown pity party.

My nurse came into see me who was an amazing individual who got me talking and she shared too – she works part time in the hospital, teaches at a local university and from time to time goes to developing or in transition countries to do volunteer work .

Last Christmas she went to India to spend Christmas with orphans. She wanted these kids to feel loved and special through a time that is so focused on family. It made me realize that in the big picture what I am dealing with is really quite small. There are so many with nothing and I have so much.

I am blessed, humbled and so grateful for all of the support and encouragement my circle provides.

News around the World

As I was surfing the net looking for world developments on the breast cancer front, I came across some articles published by the World Heath Organization (WHO). WHO acknowledges that breast cancer is the leading cancer killer of women worldwide. Here in Canada breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed, but it is lung cancer that is the top cancer killer. WHO also states that tobacco use is one of the main contributors to disease resulting in death.

We have known for some time that smoking is a leading cause of lung, throat, oral and bladder cancers, heart attack and stroke (and numerous other afflictions) but breast cancer was not usually linked to smoking. In my search this morning I also found some recent articles out of the UK that are stating that women who smoke prior to menopause and childbirth, are statistically showing an increase in incidents of breast cancer.

What frightens me most about all of this evidence against smoking is that people still start! What will it take to get everyone to stop lighting up for the first time? I feel horrible for everyone out there who is a smoker because the addiction is so horrific and it is hard (maybe impossible for some) to stop. All I can say to everyone who wants to stop - get medical intervention - you probably cannot do it alone. Trust me, everyone you love will support you in your efforts to stop.

I know that there is huge tax revenue from tobacco and that the tobacco lobby is strong - but how can we allow the tobacco companies to continue to legally produce and sell products that are known to kill. I can't even imagine the cost of treating all of the diseases that are a result of prolonged exposure to smoke. Perhaps that is a rant for another time.

I had a great conversation with my daughter about smoking - she is 13. This is a vulnerable age. We talked about how hard it is to stop once you have started and then asked her why kids start. She said because they are stupid and don't think anything will happen to them. I guess that goes with anything - smoking - drugs - unprotected sex - whatever the risk behaviour.

Unfortunately, when I was 13 and lighting up for the first time my invincibility was not a thought. I did not think of - well - anything. It was just what everyone was doing. There were not the warnings we have now, perhaps it might have made a difference. Boy, was I ever lucky everyone was not jumping into a raging river when I was 13. I cannot remember ever being that stupid.

I guess the greatest gift I can give my daughter now is the confidence to do exactly what she wants, without thought or care about the peer pressures around her. My hope is that she chooses the right path.